Structural beam or arch.



115,768,594. PATENTED AUG. 30,1904.

T. P. FINLAY. I

, A STRUCTURAL BEAM OR ARCH.

-A rrL1 o4T'I'oK 'rlnnn'nmw. 1903..

'No MODEL.

WITNESSES INVENTUR Br Tiom/a/sPFin/liy.

, tion to its weight, a further object being to Patented August 30, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS P. FINLAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STRUCTURAL BEAM QR ARCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,594, dated August 30, 1904:. Application filed December 10, 1203. Serial No. 184,531. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THoMAs P. FINLAY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Structural Beams or Arches, of which the following is a specification, such as will enablethose skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved beam for use in the construction of buildings of various kinds and classes, which is made on the'principle of a truss and which possesses a maximum of strength in proporprovide a beam-of the class specified which may be made in the form of an arch and may be used wherever arches are desired in structural Work of any kind. The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated .views, and in Which Figure 1 is a side view of my improved beam made in the form of an arch; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof; Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 1, showing my improvement applied in the construction of a straight beam; Fig. 4;, a section on the line 4; 4 of Fig. 3 and 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a side'view of one of the parts of my improvement as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 6, an end view thereof, and Fig. 7 a plan view.

Inthe practice of my invention, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I provide an arch-beam a, which is composed oftwo side portions Z), each of which is composed of separate pieces or blocks 6 placed together, as shown in Fig. 2, and the joints of which overlap, as shown at Z2 The pieces or blocks consist of metal plates 6 placed'side by side and provided with oppositely-directed flanges b and the separate side portions 6 of the beam are connected by bolts 0, on each of which is placed a sleeve 0 and'the length of the sleeves 0 determine the width of the beam, andin the construction shown two of the bolts 0 are passed through each of the pieces or blocks 6 Each side portion 6 of the beam is provided with an end member d, and these end members (Z, at the ends thereof, are of the same thickness as the top and bottom flanges-b of the separate pieces or blocks 6 which make up the side portions 6 of the beam, and in one side of each of said end pieces is a longitudinal recess (Z adapted to receive one of the pieces or blocks 6 and said recess is terminated by an inclined wall d against which said piece or block abuts. The bottom surfaces'of the parts (Z are preferably flat and horizontal, while the inner ends thereof are wider than the outer ends, and the top surface thereof consequently inclined to correspond with the curve of the arch-beam, and as thus constructed one of the pieces or blocks 5 of each side portion Z) of the beam fits in the corresponding recess d in the corresponding end piece d, while the other end piece or block Z2 abuts against the inner end (1* of the corresponding end piece 0?.

, In the form of construction shown the end parts, pieces, or members d are connected with the side portions of the arch-beam by one of the screws 0, and the separate pieces or blocks 6 closely abut and are so formed at the ends as to give the required arch shape to the beam; and when an arch-beamis constructed in this manner it will possess the greatest possible strength in proportion to the amount ence in the two constructions being that in order to make the arch-beam the ends of the pieces or blocks 6 and their connection with the end parts (Z must be such as to give the desired arch shape to the beam, and in .each form of construction the end pieces cl of each of the side members b are so formed as to aid in breaking the joints of the separate pieces or blocks from which each side portion of l posed of rectangular pieces placed together so the beam is composed.

Any suitable material may be used in the construction of my improved beam, and the that the joints overlap, and bolts passed through the separate side members and two of which are employed for each piece in the same, whether used in the straight formioliinmnseparate side members, said bolts being prothe form of an arch, will be found to be very effective in structural work of various kinds and classes, and especially where arch formations are desired, and in the construction of buildings having metal frames, and also where long beams or arches are necessary.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An arch'or other beam composed of two separate parallel side members separated a predetermined distance and each of which is composed of separate pieces placed together so that the joints overlap and end pieces connectcd therewith so as to break joints, bolts passed through said separate side members and by which they are connected, two of said bolts being used for each of the pieces employed in each of the side members and a device connected with said bolts for holding said side members a predetermined distance apart, substantially as shown and described.

2. An arch or other beam composed of two separate parallel side members separated a predetermined distance and each of which is comvided with means whereby the separate side members are separated a predetermined distance, substantially as shown and described.

3. An arch or other beam composed of two separate parallel side members separated a predetermined distance and each of which is composed of rectangular pieces placed together so that the joints overlap, bolts passed through the separate side members and two of which are employed for each piece in the separate side members, said bolts being provided with means whereby the separate side members are separated a DI'GClGllGI'HllDOd distance and the tops and bottoms of the separate side members being provided with lateral flanges formed integrally in the parts thereof. substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1, have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 8th day of December, 1903.

THOMAS P. FINI'JAY.

Witnesses:

F. S'ruwAn'r, C. E. MULREANY. 

